Thumbs up and down

Published 4:15 pm, Thursday, February 28, 2013

Thumbs down to the phony Facebook tribute pages related to the Newtown tragedy that are soliciting money and giving the deranged a platform for cruel comment. Although some of the pages are supportive toward victims and families, other pages claim Sandy Hook was a hoax. Donna Soto, mother of victim Victoria Soto, and Sandy Hook teacher Kaitlin Roig have asked operators of the pages to remove them from Facebook with little results. On Donna Soto's official tribute page to her daughter, she blocks people who post negative comments, and has been encouraging others to take down their tribute pages in order to avoid the same problem. What a world.

Thumbs up to the gun-buyback program backed by Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch and the Bridgeport Police Department. Since the program started last Dec. 21, it's taken some 650 guns off the city's streets. The program lets people turn in weapons for money or grocery gift cards, all donated by individuals and businesses. The program will be in operation Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the department's Community Services Division at 1395 Sylvan Avenue. "This has so far exceeded expectations. Every gun that is taken off the street is one less gun that can harm an innocent bystander," said Mayor Bill Finch.

Thumbs up to the state's Subsidized Training and Employment Program, also known as Step Up, for helping 1,200 unemployed workers and veterans find jobs with 400 small companies. The three-year-old program last spring began to focus on helping veterans returning from war zones. By providing incentives to small businesses, Step Up is able to help the unemployed find stable, well paying jobs. This program is good not only for returning veterans and the unemployed, but also for the economy. "We know we need to get more people back to work and we have to inspire our businesses and match them with employees and provide opportunities in new and different ways in this economy," said Sharon Palmer, state Labor Commissioner.

Thumbs up to Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives who joined their Democratic colleagues to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) despite prior indications it would not happen because the law extended protections to gay, Native American and undocumented women. The House vote was 286-138, with 87 Republicans joining 199 Democrats to pass the bill. The measure now heads to the president's desk. The legislation also authorizes funding for programs that help victims of domestic violence. Since the law first passed in 1994, there's been an estimated 64 percent reduction in domestic violence.